Comments Off on Teen wins $100,000 for new water purification system to remove Everglades pollutants

A 17-year-old Florida student won a $100,000 college scholarship this week after discovering a new way to purify drinking water . Maria Elena Grimmett first became curious about water purification when she, then age 11, wanted to find out why her family’s tap water had a brownish tint. She began investigating and learned about common water pollution problems in her home state. In the six years following, Grimmett researched solutions to the pollution – and finally found one that happened to be worth quite a lot of money. Read the rest of Teen wins $100,000 for new water purification system to remove Everglades pollutants

Comments Off on Livin Out is brilliantly-colored, flexible furniture that fits in any space

Brazilian designer Diego Waltrick wanted to create furniture that could serve any function in any living area. By looking at design in a new way, he decided that furniture doesn’t have to be tied to any particular room or style, but to the experience that it can provide. The result is Livin Out, a collection of pieces inspired by the colors and joy of Brazil. The collection includes five pieces: a chaise longue called Holly, a chaise named Serena, Up the rocking chair, Anakin the stool and a side table/ottoman called Bill. Each piece has seductive, elegant lines and is ergonomically-shaped. They can fit into any space and are durable enough to stand up to the elements while being flexible enough to suit a variety of uses. + Livin Out The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat ? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing! Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: chaise longue , Diego Waltrick , Livin Out , Livin Out Furniture , modern furniture , modern furniture design , modular furniture , reader submission

Comments Off on Scientists Discover New Technique To Change the Color of Gold Without Using Chemicals

Photo by Shutterstock Researchers at the University of Southampton have developed a new way to alter the color of gold—or just about any metal— without chemically altering it. The technique involves “nano-patterning” — etching the metal’s surface with patterns of specific shape and depth, which manipulates the wavelengths that are visible to the human eye. The technique could deliver valuable economic and environmental benefits, and it could be harnessed to manufacture jewelry and to make banknotes and documents more difficult to forge. READ MORE > Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: eco jewelry , eco-fashion , GOLD , gold color , green fashion , green jewelry , Jewelry , nano-patterning , University of Southampton